Ishmael | Rising Tide Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Rising Tide Brewing Company
Maine, United States
risingtidebrewing.com
Style: German Altbier
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.90%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Ishmael is our richly-flavored American copper ale. This American interpretation of the altbiers of Düsseldorf is brewed with continental Munich malt, American-grown hops, and a clean-fermenting ale yeast to produce a slightly sweet and malty beer balanced by a firm bitterness.
Added by sogrady on 09-15-2010
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 225 | Reviews: 66
4.04/5 rDev +8.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12oz can poured into a lager glass.
A: Nice copper color with perfect clarity. Tight, fine-bubbled head sports a creamy color and excellent retention. Chunky lacing cements itself onto the glass as the beer is consumed.
S: Rich malty sweetness. Bread crust, caramel/molasses, pinch of brown cocoa. Very clean. Faint earthiness. Hops are pleasant and oily/grassy with a hint of herbal spice.
T: Bread crust up front, pinch of brown cocoa, heavy toast, brown molasses, earthy grain. Hops are more assertive than the nose suggested, bringing their own sense of earthiness and bitter herbal spice, black pepper, and maybe even a suggestion of grapefruit rind. Trailing toasty grain and earthy/herbal hop bitterness on the finish.
M: Decisively medium bodied with a full, firm, and round mouthfeel. Almost a bit chewy. High carbonation has some acute scrubbing action and provides lift.
O: This is a well-brewed beer, and you don't see too many brewers making this type of altbier-esque beer anymore. Fermentation is great, and it's very clean and ingredient-focused. Hops are not shy and bring what seems to be a mix of American and Noble character. I think beers like this will begin to hit their stride in terms of popularity in the coming years. At least I hope they do, because great beers like this are very underrepresented in the industry right now.
1,360 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12oz can poured into a lager glass.
A: Nice copper color with perfect clarity. Tight, fine-bubbled head sports a creamy color and excellent retention. Chunky lacing cements itself onto the glass as the beer is consumed.
S: Rich malty sweetness. Bread crust, caramel/molasses, pinch of brown cocoa. Very clean. Faint earthiness. Hops are pleasant and oily/grassy with a hint of herbal spice.
T: Bread crust up front, pinch of brown cocoa, heavy toast, brown molasses, earthy grain. Hops are more assertive than the nose suggested, bringing their own sense of earthiness and bitter herbal spice, black pepper, and maybe even a suggestion of grapefruit rind. Trailing toasty grain and earthy/herbal hop bitterness on the finish.
M: Decisively medium bodied with a full, firm, and round mouthfeel. Almost a bit chewy. High carbonation has some acute scrubbing action and provides lift.
O: This is a well-brewed beer, and you don't see too many brewers making this type of altbier-esque beer anymore. Fermentation is great, and it's very clean and ingredient-focused. Hops are not shy and bring what seems to be a mix of American and Noble character. I think beers like this will begin to hit their stride in terms of popularity in the coming years. At least I hope they do, because great beers like this are very underrepresented in the industry right now.
1,360 characters
3.74/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Can at Summer Shack, Boston, MA
A: The beer is slightly hazy copper in color. It has a light amount of visible carbonation and poured with a quarter finger high off white head that died down a bit but consistently left a short head covering the surface.
S: Light aromas of toasted malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and has some flavors of toasted malts along with hints of malt extracts.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a little bit of dryness.
O: This beer is very easy to drink and goes down easily. It tastes true to the style.
Serving type: can
650 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Can at Summer Shack, Boston, MA
A: The beer is slightly hazy copper in color. It has a light amount of visible carbonation and poured with a quarter finger high off white head that died down a bit but consistently left a short head covering the surface.
S: Light aromas of toasted malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste follows the smell and has some flavors of toasted malts along with hints of malt extracts.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a little bit of dryness.
O: This beer is very easy to drink and goes down easily. It tastes true to the style.
Serving type: can
650 characters
3.31/5 rDev -10.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.31/5 rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.94/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I drank this both at the brewery in a 10 oz snifter & at home out of a 12 oz can. It has a slightly cloudy copper color, light head and malty aroma. Its a bit flat on the finish, but its a "light beer". In my opinion, it's a very pleasant beer from a great little brewery that at just under 5% ABV, won't slow you down too much.
329 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I drank this both at the brewery in a 10 oz snifter & at home out of a 12 oz can. It has a slightly cloudy copper color, light head and malty aroma. Its a bit flat on the finish, but its a "light beer". In my opinion, it's a very pleasant beer from a great little brewery that at just under 5% ABV, won't slow you down too much.
329 characters
3.52/5 rDev -5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.28/5 rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.65/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
The appearance has a copper brown colored body with a small tan lumpy head with a speckled lacing. The smell has a light sort of mild malts and hops with a light cooked apples and an added sort of bread/biscuitiness. The taste is basically sweet through the previously mentioned flavors. On the palate, its mostly on a medium sort of body with a nice sessionable sort of quality to it. There is a decent light harshness on the tongue, no aftertaste or finish. Overall, this is good for the style and good for me.
512 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
The appearance has a copper brown colored body with a small tan lumpy head with a speckled lacing. The smell has a light sort of mild malts and hops with a light cooked apples and an added sort of bread/biscuitiness. The taste is basically sweet through the previously mentioned flavors. On the palate, its mostly on a medium sort of body with a nice sessionable sort of quality to it. There is a decent light harshness on the tongue, no aftertaste or finish. Overall, this is good for the style and good for me.
512 characters
3.75/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
L: Pours a slightly murky copper, brown color.
S: Caramel, earth, citrus, and bread.
T: Sweet malt, followed by a very present earthy bitterness.
F: Fairly smooth, drinks very easy.
O: Nice beer that's balanced between light/sweet and bitter. Drinks very easy at 4.9% ABV.
272 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
L: Pours a slightly murky copper, brown color.
S: Caramel, earth, citrus, and bread.
T: Sweet malt, followed by a very present earthy bitterness.
F: Fairly smooth, drinks very easy.
O: Nice beer that's balanced between light/sweet and bitter. Drinks very easy at 4.9% ABV.
272 characters
4.15/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.81/5 rDev +29.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
3.25/5 rDev -12.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.75/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.88/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.61/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
4.34/5 rDev +17%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
12oz. bottle dated 07.26.2016
Pours slightly hazed copper with a frothy khaki colored foam head. Smells like toasted sweet malts, spice, copper penny, orange citrus, tannic black tea, pine sap, caramel, with some bitter herbal earthy grass and pine. Tastes like rye bread, vegetal spice, caramel, toasted malts, orange citrus, some dried apricot, tannic black tea, pine sap, with bitter herbal earthy grass and pine. Feels medium-light bodied, crisp with moderate carbonation. Overall a nice copper ale.
504 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
12oz. bottle dated 07.26.2016
Pours slightly hazed copper with a frothy khaki colored foam head. Smells like toasted sweet malts, spice, copper penny, orange citrus, tannic black tea, pine sap, caramel, with some bitter herbal earthy grass and pine. Tastes like rye bread, vegetal spice, caramel, toasted malts, orange citrus, some dried apricot, tannic black tea, pine sap, with bitter herbal earthy grass and pine. Feels medium-light bodied, crisp with moderate carbonation. Overall a nice copper ale.
504 characters
3.75/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.59/5 rDev +23.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
I tried this brew on tap at the brewery in Portland, and, looking back at my "beer journal," I see that I gave it a so-so review. I liked it better from this bottle, which seems a bit strange to me. Anyway, love the name, as it is a reference to the classic MOBY DICK. First sip was mild, slightly bitter, but smooth, Second sip made me cringe, as it was VERY bitter. I was determined to keep on to the bottom of my pint glass, though! Simple lacingings of a small head, signifying not much carbonation. Interesting color: definitely true to its name. Third sip was smooth, enjoyable to the last drop. Definitely want to buy again. Great brewery atmosphere at RISING TIDE, too! Good people.
690 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
I tried this brew on tap at the brewery in Portland, and, looking back at my "beer journal," I see that I gave it a so-so review. I liked it better from this bottle, which seems a bit strange to me. Anyway, love the name, as it is a reference to the classic MOBY DICK. First sip was mild, slightly bitter, but smooth, Second sip made me cringe, as it was VERY bitter. I was determined to keep on to the bottom of my pint glass, though! Simple lacingings of a small head, signifying not much carbonation. Interesting color: definitely true to its name. Third sip was smooth, enjoyable to the last drop. Definitely want to buy again. Great brewery atmosphere at RISING TIDE, too! Good people.
690 characters
Ishmael from Rising Tide Brewing Company
Beer rating:
3.71 out of
5 with
225 ratings
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